Stacking device

ABSTRACT

Flat round articles are separated into stacks of known length by being stacked to a greater length against a stop and being divided out to a lesser length from the stop.

O United States Patent 1191 1111 3,827,582 Lederer Aug. 6, 1974 STACKINGDEVICE 2,345,310 3/1944 Willoughby 214/7 x 2,996,198 8/l96l P km 214/7 X[76] Inventor: George H. Lederer, 75 Gordon Rd., 3,127,029 3/1964 i zz214/7 X Wlllowdale, Omar"), Canada 3,130,967 4/1964 Brell 214/7 x3,228,538 l/l966 COates 214/7 [22] 1971 3,463,293 8/l969 Lederer 198/33AC [21] Appl. No.: 207,393 3,497,086 2/1970 Adams et al 214/7 PrimaryExaminerR0bert G. Sheridan {52] f 255 51 6 Attorney, Agent, orFirm-Westell & Hanley [51] Int. Cl. 365g 47/24 1 581 Field of Search214/7, 8.5 F, 8.5 ss; [571 ABSTRACT 198/127, 33 AC, 35 A; 193/35 A Flatround articles are separated into stacks of known length by beingstacked to a greater length against a [56] References Cited v stop andbeing divided out to a lesser length from the UNITED STATES PATENTSBombard 2l4/7 stop.

7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PAIENTED sum 1 or 2 Inventor GEORGE H;LEDERER- STACKING DEVICE This invention relates to means for processingarticles which are flat bodies of revolution.

By flat in the disclosure and claims herein 1 mean (in relation to abody of revolution) an article whose axial dimension is small relativeto the maximum diameter of its surface of revolution. The articlehowever, may have non-planar surfaces on both sides of its axial extent,so that planar surfaces at such locations are not implied by the termflat.

The invention deals with such articles when processed by being supportedin an edgewise attitude while rotating on substantially parallel rollersand progressing axially along said rollers while so supported. Usuallysuch movement will be due to gyro precession, as disclosed in my U.S.Pat. No. 3,463,293 which issued on the 26th of August 1969. Suchprogression may also partially or totally be due to the slope of theaxes of the rollers.

The invention is useful with flat surfaces of revolution of many kinds.One of the principal uses is with flat circular plastic lids.

One object of the invention is to provide means and a method forproviding for such flat circular articles, rotating edgewise on thesubstantially parallel cylindrical bars and progressing axiallytherealong; a stack of such articles of predetermined thickness ornumber.

Another object of the invention is to provide means and a method forproviding for the axial travel of such flat circular articles whileprogressing axially therealong, which avoids the tendency of sucharticles to rotate to a degree which causes them to fall down or stoprotating.

ln drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention:

FIG. 1 shows a device in accord with the invention; and

FIG. 2 shows a portion of an aricle which would be processed by theinvention.

FIGS. 3-5 show the operation of the device.

In the drawings a sloping base supports a pair of substantially parallelcylinrical rollers 12 driven to rotate, both in the same sense, by meansnot shown. The speed of rotation must be sufficient to cause the articleto stand edgewise on the roller. The rollers 12 are axially preferablysomewhat sloped as indicated. By substantially parallel in thedisclosure and claims herein, it is meant that the rollers aresufficiently parallel that rotating circular flat articles of the typedealt with by the invention (such as the lid partially cut away in FIG.2) may be supported by the rollers over the used axial extent of thelatter.

At the upper end of the rollers, articles (here lids 11) are droppededgewise onto the rollers from a chute 14. If the lids or other articleshandled do not have a plane of symmetry perpendicular to their axis ofrevolutions, it will be necessary, for consistent gyro effects, that thelids all face the same way. This may be achieved, for feeding throughthe chute 14, in any of a number of ways well known to those skilled inthe art, and in addition a method of aligning lids all in the sameorientation, is disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,311,218 which issued onthe 28th day of May, 1967.

The gyroscopic means by which the articles (here lids) will travelaxially due to their asymmetry is discussed in my U.S. Pat. No.3,463,293 which issued on the 26th day of August, 1969. Thus, asdiscussed in this patent, the lids must be placed edgewise on therollers in the orientation which causes their movement in the correctdirection along the roller, due to precession. Further, if a tilt isprovided to the rollers as set out in the specific embodiment, to assistin the gyroscopic precession, then the article orientation should beselected so that its gyro precession augments rather than subtracts fromthe gyroscopic precession contributed by the tilt of the roller axes.Where the articles are symmetrical about a plane perpendicular to theiraxes of revolution, the tilt of the rollers must be relied on tocontribute the gyroscopic precession.

The rollers 12 define an axial sense of progression for the articlesfrom the upper to the lower end of the rollers. Parallel to thedirection of the roller axes, there is provided a bar 16. At the lowerend there is provided a stationary stop l7 to stop articles progressingin the desired sense along the rollers. At intervals therefrom towardthe chute, with the interval length corresponding to the length of stackdesired, there is provided a series of removable stops in the form ofbars 18 to interrupt the travel toward the lower end of lids progressingalong the rollers. These stop bars 18 are freely pivotally mounted onbar 16 and designed as bell cranks to be controlled by the links 20pivotably connected to the ends of the cranks remote from the bars 18,with the links connected at their other ends to control means, notshown.

Also freely pivotally mounted on bar 16 and of hell crank designcontrolled by link 22 pivotted thereto, is a blade 24, shaped inwhichever manner will best sepa-, rate adjacent articles of the typebeing stacked when brought into contact therewith. The blade is designedto be normally out of contact with the articles moving on said rollersbut movable into contact therewith under control of the link 22. Thenormal attitude of the movable stop bars 18 is the path of travel of thelids along the bars while the blade 24 is normally out of the path ofthe lids.

As will be apparent from the description hereafter, the distance betweenthe divider blade 24 and the first stop bar 18A in the down-traveldirection determines the length of a stack. Hence the axial distancebetween adjacent stop bars 18 will preferably be just greater than theintended stack length (as shown). Between the divider blade 24 and thechute there is provided a sensor to the presence of articles (here aphotocell 26) oppositely disposed from a light source 28 across the lidtravel path. A control circuit, not shown, but well known to thoseskilled in the art (connected to receive the photocell response) isprovided to ignore temporary interruptions of the photocell responsecaused by the passage of single articles or small groupings of articlesprogressing down the bars, but to provide an output signal upon thepresence of an interruption of the light path for longer than apredetermined time interval. Thus the existence of a stack extendingfrom the first stop bar 18A to an extent in the uptravel directionfarther than the photocell (see FIG. 4) will actuate the controlcircuit, to cause the production of an output signal therefrom.

The control means, on receipt of such output signal is designed tooperate link 22 to move the divider 24 between adjacent articles (FIG.4) so that the stack length is determined, as the articles stackedbetween the first stop bar 18A and the blade 24. Thus the blade 24 hasdivided the stack into two portions (the rollers continuing to rotatethroughout) with the first portion being the defined stack'depth,between the stopbar 18A and the blade 24, and the second portion beingthe growing stack between the blade 24 and the article incidencelocation under the chute. Thus bothstack portions and lids progressingtoward the second stack por tion continue to rotate. Also, as shown inFIG. 5 the blade 24 preferably moves the residue (after dividing out thestack) against the normal travel direction, a distance sufficient thatthe stack, to the left of the blade in FIG. 5 may be lifted out by thefingers or mechanical lifting means between the stack and the residue,in the space created by blade 24 and with the other hand at the lefthand end of the stack.

On the other hand, it is noted that the knife will under the simplest ofthe available control systems, be designed so that it does not move theresidual lids, divided out from the stack, upstream past the cell. Thisis to avoid the possibility of the premature measuring of the existenceof a stack. Such premature measurement might occur when the control wasreset if the blade moved the residuary stack far enough back that thecell path was cleared, followed by the reactivation of the blade as theresidue again passed forwardly past the cell.

Although provision may be made, as above, for manual removal of adivided-out stack, the common procedure will be to mechanically treatthe stacks and the description will follow as if the stacks weremechanically rather than manually handled.

At the same time as the blade 24 divides the stack into portions (orjust after) the stop means 18A and the other stop means are raised bythe links 20 clear of the path of the articles along the bars. (This isunder control of the same system controlling the blade 24). Thus thefirst portion of the articles, a stack of defined length, moves past thestop bar 18A as the blade 24 retains the second portion of the stack(see FIGS. 4 and 5).

By sensing means or timing, the passage of the first stack portion paststop 18A (at the same time as lower stacks are passing a lower stop 18Bformerly holding them), is allowed to occur; after which the bars 18Aand 18B are caused, by the control, to move back to their formerposition to stop the first stack portion at the bar 188 and to raise thedivider 24, not shown, to allow the residue divided and moved backwardlyby the blade 24 in FIGS. 4 and 5, to move downwardly to start a newstack at bar 18A.

It has been found that an adjustable timing control may be provided fordetermining the necessary up-time of the stop bars 18 to allow passageof a first stack portion dispensing with the need for sensing means todetermine the passage of a first stack portion past stop bar position. I

It will be noted that the sensing of the stack extent may be performedby different sensing means than the photocell.

When the released second portion of an original stack is stopped by bar18A, the stack will build up until the photocell is again actuated andthe previously described cycle repeated. The process may be continueduntil all the stack spaces are filled and all stacks removed at once (bymeans not shown) or the stacks may be progressively moved as they reachthe lowest position.

I claim:

1. Means for providing a stack of predetermined length of articles, saidarticles having the shape of flat surfaces of revolution, wherein thereare provided substantially parallel cylindrical bars rotating in thesame sense and arranged to support such bodies while the latter arerotating edgewise thereon, and wherein said articles and bars aredesigned and arranged so that such articles deposited edgewise at apredetermined location on said bars will tend to move longitudinallythereon;

comprising:

a defined extent on said bars, extending from said deposit location,said bodies being allowed to move longitudinally relative to said barsalong said extent;

stop means for terminating said longitudinal travel and defining the endof said extent remote from said predetermined location;

said stop means allowing said rotation to continue,

whereby a series of lids deposited on said bars, progressively stackfrom said stop means, in the opposite direction to said traveldirection, along said bars, while rotating thereon;

sensing means for determining when said stack has reached apredetermined depth;

means responsive to said determination for separating said depth ofstack into a lesser predetermined depth portion measured from said stopmeans, while allowing continued rotation of articles on the bars.

2. Means as claimed in claim 1 including means, responsive to saiddetermination for removing said stop means for an interval to allow thearticles in said lesser predetermined thickness to pass axially alongsaid rollers.

3. Means as claimed in claim 2 including means for replacing said stopmeans in the path of axial travel of said articles after the passage ofthe articles in said lesser predetermined portion, secondary stop meanspreventing axial travel of the remainder of said stack axially alongsaid rollers during the passage of said predetermined depth portion pastsaid stop means.

4. Means as claimed in claim 3 including means for removing from thepath of said articles, said secondary stop means, at a time when saidarticles, released thereby for continued axial travel, will have theiraxial travel stopped by said stop means.

5. Means for processing articles which are flat surfaces of revolutioncomprising:

a pair of substantially parallel rollers rotating in the same sense;

means, at a predetermined location along the axial extent of saidrollers, for stopping the progression in one sense in said axialdirection of articles which are flat bodies of revolution supported onand rotated by said rollers;

said stop means allowing the rotation of said articles on said rollersto continue;

means responsive to the existence of a stack of such articles ofpredetermined length, measured longitudinally along said rollers in theopposite to said progression direction, for dividing said stack into twoportions.

6. Means, as claimed in claim 5, including means for removing the stopmeans to allow the one of said portions, nearest the stop means, to passsaid stop means while preventing axial travel of the other of saidportions.

7. Means as claimed in claim 6, including means operable after thepassage, by said one portion of said stop means, to replace said stopmeans and to allow axial travel of the other of said portions.

1. Means for providing a stack of predetermined length of articles, saidarticles having the shape of flat surfaces of revolution, wherein thereare provided substantially parallel cylindrical bars rotating in thesame sense and arranged to support such bodies while the latter arerotating edgewise thereon, and wherein said articles and bars aredesigned and arranged so that such articles deposited edgewise at apredetermined location on said bars will tend to move longitudinallythereon; comprising: a defined extent on said bars, extending from saiddeposit location, said bodies being allowed to move longitudinallyrelative to said bars along said extent; stop means for terminating saidlongitudinal travel and defining the end of said extent remote from saidpredetermined location; said stop means allowing said rotation tocontinue, whereby A series of lids deposited on said bars, progressivelystack from said stop means, in the opposite direction to said traveldirection, along said bars, while rotating thereon; sensing means fordetermining when said stack has reached a predetermined depth; meansresponsive to said determination for separating said depth of stack intoa lesser predetermined depth portion measured from said stop means,while allowing continued rotation of articles on the bars.
 2. Means asclaimed in claim 1 including means, responsive to said determination forremoving said stop means for an interval to allow the articles in saidlesser predetermined thickness to pass axially along said rollers. 3.Means as claimed in claim 2 including means for replacing said stopmeans in the path of axial travel of said articles after the passage ofthe articles in said lesser predetermined portion, secondary stop meanspreventing axial travel of the remainder of said stack axially alongsaid rollers during the passage of said predetermined depth portion pastsaid stop means.
 4. Means as claimed in claim 3 including means forremoving from the path of said articles, said secondary stop means, at atime when said articles, released thereby for continued axial travel,will have their axial travel stopped by said stop means.
 5. Means forprocessing articles which are flat surfaces of revolution comprising: apair of substantially parallel rollers rotating in the same sense;means, at a predetermined location along the axial extent of saidrollers, for stopping the progression in one sense in said axialdirection of articles which are flat bodies of revolution supported onand rotated by said rollers; said stop means allowing the rotation ofsaid articles on said rollers to continue; means responsive to theexistence of a stack of such articles of predetermined length, measuredlongitudinally along said rollers in the opposite to said progressiondirection, for dividing said stack into two portions.
 6. Means, asclaimed in claim 5, including means for removing the stop means to allowthe one of said portions, nearest the stop means, to pass said stopmeans while preventing axial travel of the other of said portions. 7.Means as claimed in claim 6, including means operable after the passage,by said one portion of said stop means, to replace said stop means andto allow axial travel of the other of said portions.